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Gutterspeak
Gutterspeak is the language unique to the Forsaken in World of Warcraft. The other language that Forsaken player characters are able to speak is Orcish. According to Brann Bronzebeard; Forsaken speak Gutterspeak in addition to Common. Gutterspeak is a lower form of Common that uses litte (very little) bits of Dwarven, and Thalassian. It has existed for a while (longer that the Forsaken have). It evolved in the shady underground of black markets and rogues' guilds' it was the tongue spoke by the people of ill repute. When the Forsaken took Undercity, they adopted Gutterspeak as their official language. To sum up the Forsaken's attitude; they had been thrown away like trash, and abandoned by everyone, even their friends and loved ones. Thus Gutterspeak, as the language of the outcasts seemed appropriate to the Forsaken. NOte that Forsaken can still understand and speak Common. However, they never speak Common under normal circumstances. They take fierce pride in speaking Gutterspeak instead. Note: The language algorithm used by the in-game "translator" merely makes the words LOOK like Gutterspeak. It does not actually use a specific dictionary. Therefore, translated in-game speech isn't true Gutterspeak. Game Mechanics The real-world explanation for the fact that Forsaken aren't able to to speak Common is simply because the developers don't want players communicating across factions. In Beta, the Forsaken player characters spoke Common (besides Orcish) and thus could communicate with Alliance characters. This led to a huge amount of vitriol and bile that was spewed both ways, so this functionality was removed and Gutterspeak was introduced. In the game some neutral undead NPCs are capable of speaking to the Alliance. It has been theorized that Common and Gutterspeak are translated to Orcish in the exact same manner, although this claim is disputed. Those disputing it say that while "lol" translates to "bur" in Orcish from both Common and Gutterspeak (along with several other tested phrases), these are similarities purposely put in because Undead were once living and thus once spoke Common, and have since then changed their language somewhat. It is more likely, however, that when Blizzard wanted to create a language barrier, they left Undead speaking the same language, but gave Gutterspeak the same translation scheme as common to both Orcish and Common as Common has to Orcish, thus creating a barrier, but removing the need for explaining why they speak "different" languages. The Lost Common It has not been explained within the context of the game why the Forsaken in the game no longer speak or understand their language during life, Common. Some theorize that it may be some effect of the unnatural magics which raised them, possibly accompanied by the fact that they speak through a rotting mouth and throat. Ner'zhul's possession of the Forsaken's minds may have altered their conception of the language as well, allowing them to understand the Orcish language (Ner'zhul was an Orcish shaman during his life) and introducing a few Orcish words in their own language. Additionally some humans know Orcish as they dealt with orcs in the past. Others argue that the language barrier is simply a game mechanic, and that no attempt need be made to reconcile it in terms of lore. Other Sources The inability of Forsaken to speak and understand Common is not found in other sources. According to the RPG, Forsaken always learn the languages of their enemies, and their allies who will soon become their enemies. Thus, they are fluent in several other languages as well, including Gutterspeak. Their main language in the RPG is Common, and the Forsaken encountered by the main characters in the Sunwell Trilogy are also capable of speaking Common. Category:Game Terms Category:Languages